The 14th and 15th centuries were a dangerous time for continental Europeans to oppose the Catholic church. Jan Hus lived at a time when the Papacy dominated religious affairs and dissent was a serious crime. It was also an era when some were beginning to feel that the Catholic church had become more about enriching the priests than anything else and the Papal Schism which had split the church between power centres in Rome and Avignon was undermining the organisation.
Born around 1369, Jan Hus was a priest himself who, along with the English reformer John Wycliffe, began to question the way the church worked, theorising that it was not for the church to be the ‘middle man’ between God and his audience and that it was possible for ordinary people to communicate directly. These ideas were the building blocks of the Reformation and it didn’t take the Catholic church long to realise the danger it posed to their enormous power.
Hus was consequently excommunicated by Pope Alexander V but his (Bohemian) government supported him, ensuring that his influence grew. The city of Prague, where he was preaching, was put under an interdict, meaning it lost the right to partake in certain Catholic rituals. Within Bohemia, Hus’ supporters made sure it had now become a battle between their leader and the church, burning the Papal Bulls (official church communiques) and arguing that Hus was the man to follow.
Jan Hus
By now the situation appeared to be on the verge of violence between the Catholic church and Bohemia and King Wenceslaus of Bohemia attempted to reconcile the opposing parties before the situation deteriorated further. In 1412 a synod was held at the palace of the Archbishops in Prague (meaning Hus could not attend) and various ideas were put forward to reconcile the two parties. Hus was unimpressed by the propositions, especially since Bohemia did not have the same freedom as other countries in regard to religious freedoms. John Wycliffe was more fortunate in this regard to be English. Hus famously said that “even if I should stand before the stake which has been prepared for me, I would never accept the recommendation of the theological faculty.”
Despite this setback, the King continued to press for reconciliation while Hus and his followers continued to preach the doctrine of Reformation. The King’s brother, Sigismund of Hungary, proposed a general council at Constance in 1414, promising Hus safe passage. Unknown to Sigismund, Hus was consequently captured and imprisoned and after 73 days in captivity, a trial was held in June, 1415.
During this trial, Hus continued to support his own views, offering to recant if he could be proved incorrect by the bible. King Wenceslaus finally refused to protect him, possibly seeing an end to the argument with the Catholic church and ultimately Hus was sentenced to death. Just before he was burnt at the stake he was offered one more chance to recant but refused, saying “God is my witness that the things charged against me I never preached. In the same truth of the Gospel which I have written, taught and preached, drawing upon the sayings and positions of the holy doctors, I am ready to die today.”